So what have we learned here?
People that don't like/are afraid of motorcycles think riding them is crazy. We knew that.
People that ride motorcycles agree that there is some danger involved. We knew that.
Horseback riding is more dangerous than motorcycle riding. We didn't know that.
Small aircraft are more dangerous than motorcycles. We didn't know that.
In conclusion, it seems obvious to me that riding a horse in a small aircraft is a death sentence. So I'm going to play it safe and ride my motorcycle on the street.

So what have we learned here?
People that don't like/are afraid of motorcycles think riding them is crazy and are very vocal about it for some reason. We knew that.
People that ride motorcycles agree that there is some danger involved. We knew that.
Horseback riding is more dangerous than motorcycle riding. We didn't know that.
Small aircraft are more dangerous than motorcycles. We didn't know that.
In conclusion, it seems obvious to me that riding a horse in a small aircraft is a death sentence. So I'm going to play it safe and ride my motorcycle on the street.

factor in the limited number of months per yr a bike can be ridden or just by the number of miles driven per fatality, that 17% would likely look MUCH worse.

In 2010 I drove my bike almost 10 months because the weather was good and I was not on the road alone And for the last two years I have put more miles on my bike than my truck....... that may not be the same for everyone but then again it could be more than you think

I started riding bikes at 7 (50cc bike! woo wish i still had it) and had bikes until i was 32. I rode motocross and had street bikes. I had a 80cc on up to 599cc.

Nearly everyone in my family had a bike and most still ride today.

i stopped because it seems there are to many idiots out today. The last few years of rideing i had far more close calls (i have been in 3 street accidents) from people just not paying attention. Yes you can (and should) ride in a way to reduce it.

add in that my health has gone done i just son't think its worht the risk anymore.

So what have we learned here?
People that don't like/are afraid of motorcycles think riding them is crazy. We knew that.
People that ride motorcycles agree that there is some danger involved. We knew that.
Horseback riding is more dangerous than motorcycle riding. We didn't know that.
Small aircraft are more dangerous than motorcycles. We didn't know that.
In conclusion, it seems obvious to me that riding a horse in a small aircraft is a death sentence. So I'm going to play it safe and ride my motorcycle on the street.

Shh, keep that quiet or I will never get the ponies on the plane again.

I think people's perspective is skewed due to the young guys on bike doing dumb things. While riding a bike is a risk, what you do on the bike matters on the magnitude of the risk. On one end you have the 40+ yr old guy who's just enjoying a ride, on the other end you have this guy:

I think people's perspective is skewed due to the young guys on bike doing dumb things. While riding a bike is a risk, what you do on the bike matters on the magnitude of the risk. On one end you have the 40+ yr old guy who's just enjoying a ride, on the other end you have this guy:

That pic was taken right before a truck hit him and he burst into flames.

Actually, looking at the numbers for California (we can ride year round here and there are far greater numbers of us who ride) it would seem that you are totally and completely wrong. In fact, it looks much better at only 13% of total fatalities were motorcyclists.

I don't have CA stats, but nationally bikes are only 2.8% of registered vehicles. 13% of fatalities coming from motorcycles in CA, even if assumed CA registration was double the natinal average, is nothing to be proud about.

In 2010 I drove my bike almost 10 months because the weather was good and I was not on the road alone And for the last two years I have put more miles on my bike than my truck....... that may not be the same for everyone but then again it could be more than you think

what state do you live in? I live in MN, you aren't riding 10 months a year here

I don't have CA stats, but nationally bikes are only 2.8% of registered vehicles. 13% of fatalities coming from motorcycles in CA, even if assumed CA registration was double the natinal average, is nothing to be proud about.

The upshot was that the use of motorcycles in everyday life improved cognitive faculties, particularly those that relate to memory and spatial reasoning capacity. An added benefit? Participants revealed on questionnaires they filled out at the end of the study that their stress levels had been reduced and their mental state changed for the better.

So why motorcycles? Shouldn’t driving a car should have the same effect as riding a motorcycle?

“There were many studies done on driving cars in the past,” Kawashima said. “A car is a comfortable machine which does not activate our brains. It only happens when going across a railway crossing or when a person jumps in front of us. By using motorcycles more in our life, we can have positive effects on our brains and minds”.

Very interesting read! Maybe if driving cars was more difficult then people would drive with more awareness. It would be interesting to see the same study except comparing people that drive manual vs automatic transmissions. Does the level of involvement, or direct connection with the vehicle increase awareness of the driver?

EDIT: Also, could the level of 'perceived danger' increase the awareness of people driving vehicles? If everyone was driving POS Coffin-on-Wheels (like my MR2) that require defensive driving then maybe the amount of crashes/accidents/fatalities would actually decrease.

__________________'85 MR2MK1.5
It is a curious fact that of all the illusions that beset mankind, none is quite so curious as that tendency to suppose that we are mentally and morally superior to those who differ from us in opinion.

Very interesting read! Maybe if driving cars was more difficult then people would drive with more awareness. It would be interesting to see the same study except comparing people that drive manual vs automatic transmissions. Does the level of involvement, or direct connection with the vehicle increase awareness of the driver?

EDIT: Also, could the level of 'perceived danger' increase the awareness of people driving vehicles? If everyone was driving POS Coffin-on-Wheels (like my MR2) that require defensive driving then maybe the amount of crashes/accidents/fatalities would actually decrease.

Driving a manual tranny is like 2nd nature to me, I don't think it requires any extra brain activity. Whenever I drive an automatic I always try to push the clutch pedal in when coming to a stop.

I am not a motorcyclist but I greatly appreciate the aesthetic of Euro sportbikes of all vintages. When I was in college my friends and I rode bikes regularly and I do see the fun factor - I just don't see it as outweighing the enormous danger, so I choose not to ride a bike. I have no problem with other people doing it (other than those Harley asswipes who pull the baffles out of their pipes so they are crushingly loud - I don't like the sound of Harleys in the first place and the last thing I want is more of that noise).

__________________
The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. The Second Coming, William Butler Yeats